Bastets Box
by Comtesse-Dynamite
Summary: Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj are about to solve the mystery of Bastets Box. Therefore they have to travel through Egypt accompanied by Penny the journalist. Read and Rate if you can imagine our four scientists facing the dangers of the endless desert.
1. Chapter 1

Bastets Box

Chapter 1

Leonard was waiting in suspense for the upcoming news. He was zipping nervously from one channel to another, searching for an anchorman who would announce they're life-project. They had to be mentioned somewhere. Sure, unsolved crimes, wild car chases and flooding were interesting subjects but what about their mission? No one made words about this important event in which he, Sheldon, Raj and Howard could possibly risk their necks.

The door to their spacious apartment was opened and a small, thin man, loaded with an olive-green backpack and a way too huge holdall by his standards, entered.

"Did they already talk about us?" he asked and sat next to his friend on the couch.

Leonard shook his head. "No one seems to care about Egypt and its mysterious marvels. Pyramids are out", he added in a low tone and sighted.

He cast a glance at the five tickets in front of him. Those sheets of paper would bring the four scientists to Cairo, a capital full of open secrets. They had the opportunity to travel through North Africa, wandering around the desert, exploring lost places and finally solve the legendary riddle of Bastets Box.

"Maybe you just missed it" assumed Howard and snatched one of the tickets. "After so many years of theory and research I'm eventually allowed to visit the country which accompanies me since I was four. Can you imagine that I started to read books of the Ancient Egypt at the age of a toddler? I was fascinated by the fact that there is not a person alive who found out how Cheops has been built", he was walking down memory lane.

"There are certain conjectures of course and by the way, you're sitting on my place", Sheldon said pointing at his favourite seat. He came from his bedroom, wearing a purple shirt with the eye of Horus on it and put down the luggage. Howard rolled his eyes and stood up at once. "If you want to believe the opinion of middleclass explorers Cheops was built around 2550 bc. But it might be bollocks since the only evidence that Pharaoh Cheops had something to do with the pyramid was found in Herodots scripts. Apart from that there are absolutely no hints that are indicative of Cheops. Not a single hieroglyph praises him as the erector of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Pharaohs and their buildings were often registered on the "Kings list of Abydos", he wasn't honourably mentioned", Sheldon finished his speech and fixed the TV.

"Have you heard of this journalist who will be attending our trip?" Leonard wanted to know.

"They say she has no experience, is new on her job and clumsy", Sheldon replied without losing sight of the news.

"I saw a picture of her. She looks pretty", Leonard whispered. "Her name is Penny; she has long blonde hair and big brown eyes", he went on and hoped that his friends would join the conversation.

"I heard that they have hidden numbers like Pi and the distance of a light second in the construction of the pyramid", Howard narrated and turned to Sheldon. Originally Howard wanted to become an archaeologist but his passion for numbers was bigger than his love for mummies, so he decided to become a mathematician instead. He was desperately searching a way to combine his two interests and finally found it. His best friend Raj called his attention by telling him of Ah – mose a popular writer from the Middle Kingdom who delivered the whole knowledge regarding mathematics to the posterity.

Sheldon didn't answer. He was observing the four young men on the screen. "There we are", Leonard shouted and went a step closer to the TV.

"We're assembled to interview four scientists and to discover more from their exciting journey to Egypt", a man with a safari hat on his head addressed the audience. "Mr. Sheldon Cooper is standing next to me", he carried on. "It's 'Doctor'", Sheldon corrected and grinned into the cam. "Doctor, of course, excuse me. Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali and Mr. Howard Wolowitz are about to throw themselves into a dangerous adventure featuring the pyramids of Gizeh and tons of pharaohs."

"He has no idea what he's talking about. I can't understand why they hire a person who has no clue at all what the Ancient Egypt means to us. Seriously, at least he could have said 'featuring the pyramids as well as Pepi and Amun-Re'", Sheldon moaned and turned off the program.

"Hey I wanted to watch that", Howard yelled but Sheldon stuck to his guns.

"We're already late. If we want to arrive in time at the airport it's up to you to call Raj! Why on earth do we always have to wait for him? We sure will miss our flight and I'm not going to forgive him", angrily Sheldon opened his luggage and checked out once more if everything he needed was there.

"Do you know where we're going to meet Penny?" Leonard asked. She wouldn't go out of his mind. "Who cares? I bought a new fine-grained camera. We can do the documentary on our own", his roommate pointed out.

The doorbell rang and a man of Indian origin came in. He had nothing but a small suit case in his hands.

"Raj! Where have you been? And where is your baggage?" Howard wondered and greeted his friend. Raj smiled widely. "It's in the cab. Sorry that I'm late but I had to tell my parents that I won't be online for a few weeks. They're very sad because they had chosen a wife for me and now I can't say hello to her."

"Leonard, take the keys! Shut the windows! Close up our bedrooms! It's time", Sheldon ran out of the apartment without looking back. In thoughts he was already in Egypt, engulfing himself in white linen sheets, tasting savoury dates and browsing in books of the famous Museum in Cairo. "He wants me to close up his bedroom? Oh boy, I guess he's already besotted with Bastets curse", supposed Leonard.

The taxi was waiting outside. The woman sitting on the steering wheel was in a bad mood and when Sheldon told her that she was the beginning of a legendary trip she told him to shut up a to fasten his seat belt.

"Not really enthusiastic. I would be graceful if I were part of an unforgettable expedition", he brought it home to her.

The driver addressed Leonard. "Listen! I'll drive you to the airport if you tell this freak to leave me alone, okay", she grumbled and darted malignant glances to Sheldon. He got quiet and rummaged around his bag taking out a map.

"This is awesome", Howard replied again and again. He still couldn't believe that his child dreams were coming true. A ten hours flight was separating him from his long-desired destiny.

The airport was full. Hundreds of people were walking around, pushing through and bowling at each other. Howard was slack-jawed; he was looking out for some Shahs, wearing a turban and dark sunglasses. Then he spotted a woman dressed up in pink, waving agitatedly with a cardboard. "Good Lord", Sheldon exclaimed and hid his face in his hands. "What? What's wrong?" Leonard asked. His friend pointed at the cardboard. "Our names are written on it. That's the journalist. That's the woman who will follow us everywhere in Egypt. Look at her! She has two pigtails and chewing gum in her mouth. That's a joke, right!" Sheldon didn't want to believe that their organisation had chosen such a frumpy girl as an acceptable companion.

Penny came towards them and held out her hand. "Are you the four guys who take the next flight to Cairo?" she had a squeaky voice. Without waiting for an answer she took out her camera and focused the lens on Leonard.

"We're not four guys. We're four graduated scientist, three of us have a doctor title, I have two", Sheldon interrupted, contemptibly snorting.

"I'm Dr. Sheldon Cooper, this journey wouldn't take place without me. I'm a linguist, aware of over 15 languages among them ancient Egyptian, middle Egyptian, new Egyptian, Demotic and Coptic", he introduced himself while placing his head in the centre of the screen.

Howard who wanted to impress Penny thrust Sheldon aside and winked over to the her. "I'm Howard Wolowitz, passionate mathematician and lover of numbers. Passionate and lover were little hints" Penny wrinkled her nose and panned over to Raj. He simply starred into the dazzling light of the lamp and said nothing. "What is your task?" Leonard was magically attracted by her. He kept tab on every move she made. "Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali won't give you an appropriate answer. He can't speak to women", Sheldon clarified. "Raj studied Near Eastern archaeology and works as a specialist in the fields of antique treasures."

"This is so exciting. What about you?" now it was Leonards turn to tell Penny his job. He tried to collect his thought but without success. Embarrassed by the fact that she was filming his stammering he faced away. "Have I done anything?" Penny touched his shoulder. "The crabbed parts can be cut away. Come on say something" Leonard smiled awkwardly, put his glasses in the right place and cleared his throat.

"I'm, I'm a lecturer at the California Institute of Archaeology."

"And cut! Cool, how about I lay some textures over these interviews giving them a special effect." Penny wanted to put away her camera but right then the buckle of her bag opened and a bunch of note books, empty cassettes and more or less forty pens tumbled out.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit gawky at times" she stumbled. Howard kneeled down and picked up her stuff.

"We will miss our flight", Sheldon whispered to Leonard.


	2. Chapter 2

**The announcement was taken form a website. I don't own the characters of TBBT. Comments?**

Chapter 2

"But I really need those things. You can't just rifle my property, choosing whatever you like and pretend it to be yours", Sheldon was extremely annoyed by the guards behaviour. It was yet the second time that he wasn't allowed to stride through the security check.

"Sir, you're carting some scissors along, which could in case of emergency cause an accident", the guard tried to explain. Sheldon found it incomprehensibly and made his indignation room.

"What do you think shall I use to scratch along the hieroglyphs instead? Maybe my own finger or a toothpick? Or maybe I could simply take your shoe buckle?" The scientist proposed.

Leonard knew that the moment to intervene had come.

"I can give you assurance that Dr. Sheldon Cooper has no ulterior motives. All he wants is his bag, which needs to be disinfected afterwards and eventually have a seat in the plane."

It was difficult for him to solve the situation but he didn't want to cause even more trouble. Sheldon however shushed him and put his hands behind his back.

"May I inform you about your duty as a security guard?" He stared at the man who was a heads smaller than himself.

"Here we go again!" groaned Howard and let his luggage fall. Penny took her chance and started to record this dispute. "Now he will start to list all the rules he learned by heart to confuse this poor fellow", Howard said to the blonde journalist.

It wasn't until minutes later when Leonard could finally convince Sheldon to hand over his scissors, promising him to buy him a new pair as soon as they arrived in Cairo.

After having taken the bus to the terminal they checked out their seat numbers. "Great", Leonard muttered as he discovered that Sheldon was the lucky guy to sit next to Penny. He could share a row together with Howard, and Raj found himself between two young girls who seemed a little bit drunk.

"Good morning", the stewardess put on a big smile. "Yeah, whatever", Dr. Hofstadter snapped and stowed his carryall above his head. "At least you don't have to stand Sheldon's speeches or his occasional panic attacks."

Howard wanted to cheer his friend up but Leonard was constantly peering over to Penny. She had no idea of her faith. Spending time next to Sheldon during a flight could be a real torture. A couple of years ago he had made the experience. Every little vent had made Sheldon shout and he had clawed his nails into Leonards arm.

"Welcome aboard Egyptair Flight to Cairo. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt and if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting theirs. If you are travelling with two small children, decide now which one you love more."

Some laughters rushed through the seating rows. "This is kinda macabre, isn't it?" Sheldon asked Penny.

"It's called sarcasm. Have you never heard of it? They want you to lose your angst of crushing down." She went on glancing at the screen in the corner of the plane which allowed the travellers to follow the departure.

"Why should anyone lose their angst after hearing this announcement? It scares me even more!" Sheldon replied and shook his head. "Did you know that Finnair, Qantas and Cathay Pacific are the safest airlines on earth? The worst months to fly are July, August and September. The most common causes of death during a plane crash are the huge pressure and the heat of course."

Penny bashed her head against her seat. "Okay, stop it! Instead of telling me statistics and the probability that I won't survive this flight why don't you tell me something about your trip to Egypt? I'm wondering how much you know about the secrets of Bastets Box. I mean that's what you're going to explore. I have to write an incredibly long report about this adventure which is very important for my future career. Let's start with the basics." Penny pulled out a pen and her note book. Sheldon closed his eyes and then approached the journalist, which made Leonard jump up.

"What is he doing?" the lecturer asked without losing sight of Sheldon. "Maybe he sat on a peanut which pinched him. Why are you so concerned about that girl? You don't even know her. Sure, she is good-looking, has a nice body and a beautiful broadcast, but that doesn't give you the right to control every step she makes", Howard dragged Leonard down. "She could be in danger! What do you think will happen when we, by accident, fly through severe hailstorms? Penny won't have any skin left or she will be deaf!" He was getting ready to stand up and beg Sheldon to switch places with him.

But he already knew the answer. "This is my spot. See, the ticket says row 6 seat 27", Sheldon would look into his eyes, waiting for Leonard to say "You're right"; and then his gunge smile would follow the lecturer back to Howard.

"Are you on the way to Egypt?" giggled the redhead next to Raj. He was cramped and started to sweat. "What's wrong with you?" she touched his hand and caressed his fingers. Raj smiled but didn't say a word. He hoped for a stewardess to pass by so he could demand a drink, but there was far and wide no one in sight.

"What mission do you have in Cairo?" the brunette on his left wondered. "A marriage maybe?" she pinched his cheeks. The archaeologist folded his hands together and made a little bow before standing up.

"Leonard, Howard" he ran to his mates, hard breathing. "I'm sharing my row with some adorable chicks, but as you know without alcohol I'm incapable to chat along with them. Is one of you interested in switching my…" he couldn't even finish his sentences when Howard grabbed him by his shoulders, whispering a "make yourself comfortable and thank you" and disappeared.

"So Raj, how about we take out the map and discuss where we should search first after Bastets Box?" Leonard suggested. His friend nodded and passed his finger over the rivers of Egypt. "We're landing in Cairo, right? Then I propose we check in at our hotel and take a nap. The next day we should visit the famous museum to get some facts about Bubastis, the city which worshipped Bastet the most."

"Do you think we're on the right track? I expect to find important evidences in the temple of Kom Ombo. My researches confirm this thesis", Leonard had spent three years with deciphering the inscription of Kom Ombo. He knew what he was doing. Raj seemed little enthusiastic.

"Why should anyone keep the Box of Bastet in a temple which has been erected to praise Sobek, the Crocodilegod and Haroeris, who built together with Ta-senet-nophret and Pa-neb-Taui a triad of Gods?" the archaeologist asked.

"That's a good question. I'm sure you're aware of the powers of Bastets Box. They had to hide it, otherwise tomb raiders, Bedouins or common folk would have searched for it, trying to hog the boundless mights. So the keepers had to think of another place, a place which should never be in the cards", Leonard finished his deliberations.

"Bastets Box. Where do I start?" Sheldon put his hands behind his head. "First of all you could reveal me who Bastet was? Was he a pharaoh?" Penny sucked her pen. The linguist snorted. "You don't know who Bastet was? And you're using her history as a spring board into further careers?" astounded and scandalized at the same time ran Sheldon through his hair. "Penny, Penny, Penny." He smiled at her giving her the feeling of being totally lost.

"Let's start from the beginning." He cleared his throat. "Sure, we have eight hours left" the journalist smirked insecurely.

"I try to overlook this sassing response. We find ourselves in a time between the 22nd and the twenty-third dynasty of the Ancient Egypt. That's when the cat experienced the most adoration in Bubastis. The main Goddess of this city used to be Bastet who has been represented as a woman with a lions head. Families mummified their cats out of devotion, wherever she was worshipped. All this happened during a time where the inhabitants of a town or a city viewed the cult of animals and their reverence as an act of invigorated force. Now some people shaved off their eyebrows out of mourning, when their beloved pet died. It was even prohibited to kill an animal! This ritual was especially widespread in Theban, Bubastis and Sakkara", Sheldon spoke in a hurry that Penny had a hard time with writing down every detail.

"Okay, those were the basics, right?" she hoped inner. "Yes. More or less, I left out a few important facts but I guess it's good enough for you and your readers. You might ask now, what has this to do with Bastets Box? Did they put a mummified cat in there? No, that would be absurd. Actually, Dr. Koothrappali has a better understanding if it comes to worthy treasures, but as he can't talk to women in a sober condition I have to take this. Bubastis Box is an all times riddle. There is only one inscription that confirms its existence. From the very beginning I and the three other scientists have striven to solve this mystery. If we believe what Imhotep handed us down, the Box contains a liquid which enriches its owner with eternal luck", his eyes widened after opening the secret to Penny.

"You mean like in the Harry Potter movies? Felix Felicis?" the journalist grinned over to the linguist. "Something similar. There are some differences but it would be a Sisyphean task trying to explain you that. But that's only the good part. Unfortunately the liquid allows its owner to arouse Bastets army, a legion of thousands of bloodthirsty cats who would destroy Cairo in less than an hour" he sighted and turned apart.

The loud-speakers came on. "Dear passengers we're expecting some turbulence in the next few minutes. Please, fasten your seatbelt."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Here, Penny. Put some ointment on the wound, otherwise it could get easily infected", Leonard pulled out a tiny tube from his carryall and handed it over to the blonde journalist. She accepted it and pressed some of the white cream on her arm.

The lector was walking next to Sheldon. "Don't you have to say something?" he asked while panning his head towards Penny.

"Why? It was a panic reaction. The plane threatened to fall" the linguist replied. "It was one little vent and you almost freaked out and sunk your fingernails into Penny's skin!" gnashed Leonard.

Sheldon tried to orient himself by recognising a popular sight of Cairo. But it was harder than he thought.

A huge market took place, right then when the five adventurers had arrived. "I'm so tired; can't we just check in at our hotel?" Leonard finally yammered.

"Yes, we survived a ten hours flight. I know that I always urged you to come with me to Egypt, but I need a cosy and warm bed" Howard added and ran ahead his group.

"Raj, do you have an idea where our hotel is?" The Indian took out the map and browsed through the many stars on it, which stood for the overnight accommodations. Then he nodded and whispered something into Howard's ear.  
>"We have to cross the market. As soon as we spot a distorted hexagon we need to make a turn to the left."<p>

"Isn't this exciting? Can we make a stop at a date stall? I would love to taste the sweet fruit of the desert" Sheldon ´s mouth started watering when he bent to the filled baskets on a table, smelling at the selection of fresh figs, quinces and grapes.

The young woman behind the shelter, who was covered with a turquoise robe and whose eyes were the only thing the tourists could see made a bow and offered Sheldon a fig.

"No, thank you. See, I read a lot about the hygiene and security measures and they keep us from degust unshelled and unwashed fruits", Sheldon replied and made a step back.

"When in Rome, do as the Romains do", the woman said in perfect English. Visibly amazed the linguist paused. "You speak English? Very impressive", he replied.

"Yes. My father is a British salesman. He moved from Bristol to Cairo in 1966, shortly after he had met my mother. I was born in this city but he was particular about me getting an English as well as an Arabian education. By the way, my name is Amy", she wanted to shake hands but Sheldon didn't dare to return the gesture.

"Oh my, Sheldon you won't ever befriend with new people if you always withdraw", Leonard interfered. "Do not take it personal, Miss. He's afraid of getting the flue and God forbid, he is terribly annoying when he's sick", Howard nodded recognising.

"No problem. I hope you'll enjoy your stay in Egypt. If there are any problems and you need to negotiate with the people here, I'll be glad to help you out", she bowed once more and took care of her next customer.

The five moved forward to a man who offered at the top of his voice his merchandise. Pink, light green, purple, silver and golden cloths were hanging on a rod behind him. He approached Penny.

"Would you like to buy something?" he shouted and frightened the journalist. She laughed nervously as she didn't understand a word and negated. "He asked you, if you're interested in his robes. If I'm not wrong they're made of velvet", Sheldon took one of the cloths between his hands and sensed the fabric.

"It's so soft", Howard snuggled it to his face.

Raj spoke to him under breath. "I know that you also have such beautiful robes in India and that they might be cheaper."

Leonard observed Penny while she beheld herself in front of a dirty mirror, holding an aquamarine scarf next to her body. He came a bit closer.

"It sure would fit you", the lector said shyly after giving her thumbs up. Penny turned around. "It is gorgeous but 356 Egyptian Pounds are a lot", she thought for a moment. "More or less 60 Dollars, my dear", Howard replied who had joined the two.

"60 Dollars? Oh, I can't afford that", she already wanted to put the robe away, when Leonard withheld her.

"Maybe we could pool some money" he purposed and glanced over to his friends. "We're four guys. If every one of us gives 15 bucks or converted 89 Egyptian Pounds", Howard grinned over to Penny "Yes, I'm a mathematician and I love my job. Then this attractive young girl could become the owner of a colorful and shiny dress that would match her eyes perfectly."

Sheldon declined. "Howard, let's just imagine for a moment that there exists the possibility of getting kidnapped by some tomb raiders and the only chance for us to save our lives are exactly 89 Egyptian Pounds, which they would need to a buy a dry spot somewhere in the desert to plant different vegetables. Would you really spend it on needless cloths than save it for real emergency?" he waited for a reaction.

"Hey, it's okay. Maybe Dr. Cooper is right", Penny wanted to calm Leonard down. It was so nice of him to encourage his mates to buy her the scarf, but if they would get in danger because of her she would feel remorse forever, although the idea was more than ridiculous.

The sun was setting down and the five tourists decided to finally look after their hotel. It wasn't so difficult to find it, but a big surprise expected them.

When they stood in front of the hexagonal building they noticed in what condition it was. There was a scaffold, which encased the hotel. The plaster crumbled from the walls and the windows had no glasses. Sheldon tipped Leonards shoulder and pointed direction empty window frames. "Tomb Raiders" he said and wanted his friend to confirm his sorrows. "Don't be silly. We should at least go inside and ask if our booking has been transmitted", the lector insisted, after all they would loose a huge sum.

"No way! It's a ruin, the ceiling could crash down", Sheldon didn't move. He was afraid of entering the hotel, there could be disease carriers every where and he didn't want to spoil his mission by coming down with Cholera or Malaria.

"Alright, then. My Arabian isn't fluently but it will do", without hesitation Leonard walked into the building, searching for the reception desk.

A man was sitting behind it, drinking a coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Sorry", Leonard shouted, while trying to drown out the drilling machine.

"We're closed", the man replied without looking up.

The lector was getting slightly nervous.

"We booked two twin rooms and one single room in this hotel, we transferred the money and we got a confirmation that everything worked out. Now? Where are our accommodations?" Leonard wondered.

"They're getting renovated", the man answered in a cold tone.

Leonard facepalmed himself. Where should they stay for the night?

"Can you offer us an alternative?" he wanted to know. Howard, Raj and Penny had joined him. "Please, we had a ten hours flight, we're tired, hungry and some of us are hurt. Also if it's just one room, we can manage that", Howard looked at Penny. "I, I can sleep in the lobby, if necessary. I'm not so fussy", the journalist added, while avoiding eye contact with the mathematician.

"No chance. It's full" obviously it was the owner of the hotel who spoke to them. The four guys wanted to give up already but then Amy appeared.

She greeted the owner and began to discuss with him about the situation.

"It's remarkable to listen to the sound of this language", Sheldon said. The others turned around. "I thought you wanted to stay outside because of the insects and bacteria" Leonard replied. "Yes, but how many times do you get opportunity to listen to an actual dispute between two Egyptians?" the linguist answered. "Is it because of Amy?" Penny wanted to know. Sheldon ignored her; he knew exactly what she wanted to hear.

After some minutes Amy came closer to the five adventures and shrugged her shoulders. "My apologies, but the owner won't let you sleep here. I wanted to convince him and made up a story, that you're five explorers on your life time mission and that you're about to disclose a secret, but it didn't impress him. I don't know, I could offer you to stay at my place", she waited for their reaction.

"That would be very genuine of you but we don't want to be a burden to you" Leonard smiled a little. "Leonard, a word" Sheldon pulled the lector away.

"We can't accept it. I'm sure she has no doors and then during the night the worms and scarabs will make a five course meal of us!"

"That's enough, okay? If you're so disgusted by every little animal that crawls in the hot sand of Cairo you should have stayed at home" Leonard was angry. Not only did he just lose his hard earned money, he also had to carry along a lunatic an annoying roommate who couldn't adapt.

Amy remarked the discrepancies and addressed the linguist.

"I believe you're a smart man and that the world will be hearing of you very soon. Do you really want to give it all up just because you're not at home, surrounded by your same old furniture and following your daily routines? Scientists, people like you have to break out, they have to make new experiences and getting confronted with new situations, also if it's just sleeping at another place", her soft voice made Sheldon think. Then he closed his eyes. Amy understood him and wanted to hearten him. She had recognised his potential.

"Okay", he simply whispered and Penny as well as the other guys breathed again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Amy's flat reminded Sheldon of Aladdin's shelter with a view to the magnificent palace of Agrabah. It was stark and plain furnished, a mattress was lying in each corner and something bubbled in a cooking pot next to the living room.

A woman appeared from the kitchen. She was wearing her black hair loose and greeted the five travellers.

"Salam aleikum."

"Aleikum salam" replied the four scientists and Penny simply waved her hand. "Mother, these are five tourists from the USA. They had booked a room at a nearby hotel but it's getting renovated right now so the owner didn't allow them to stay there for the night. I decided to take them with me and hope you might approve", Amy stayed in a stoop, while speaking to her mother. It was a sign of respect for the parents.

The elderly lady seemed suspicious and asked her daughter after the explorer's intention. Amy didn't know what to answer, since she had no idea why they had come to Cairo.

Sheldon stood next to her and thanked the mother for her hospitality, and then he started to explain the situation in fluent New Egyptian.

"My name is Dr. Sheldon Cooper and I'm a linguist. We planned this trip for some time. Our aim is to solve the secret of Bastets Box. Therefore we researched in early works and deciphered innumerable inscriptions. We wanted to reside in Cairo for one night, tomorrow we're going to search through the museum as well as the library for further evidences. It's rather unfortunate that we landed here but I can assure you that we're leaving as soon as possible", he made a bow and looked at Amy who had now uncovered herself. She had long, curly brown hair, immaculate skin and she was wearing a golden necklace with an Isis pendant.

"I know someone who could help you out. Mr. El – Kebir is a good friend of the family and a notorious explorer too. I'm certain that he will plug many of your gaps with his lore. If you like I can bring you to him, there is just one problem", Amy paused.

"What is it?" Howard wanted to know.

"He lives in Saqqara, we need to start bright and early if you want to talk to him" she responded. The four guys nodded.

"I think we can manage that. As long as Sheldon won't have the desire to stick to his daily plan" Leonard said.

Amy smiled at him. "If you excuse me now, I'm going to help my mother with the supper. Do you want to join us?" she asked Penny. "Actually I should start to write my report", she glanced over to Sheldon who shook his head and made her understand to go into the matter.

"Yes, why not" the journalist replied. Amy disappeared behind a separator coming back with a yellow cloth for Penny. "Please, you shall cover your hair and your face while cooking. We need to keep the food clean" she invited the blonde into the kitchen and gave her some instruction.

Howard and Raj sat down and distributed the maps on the floor. Once in a while a picture popped out, showing what Bastets Box could possible look like.

Leonard held one of the illustrations up. "I could imagine that the Box is made of gold. But these little emerald green cats are a bit exaggerated" he suggested.

"They valued pompous art and finely shaped jewellery. It's very possible that this picture" Raj showed his friend a crumpled sheet of paper "comes close to the original. See the Topaz on the cover of the Box? Another name for this crystal is Cat's Eye."

"You're both wrong! The Box has to be a simple handmade wooden vessel, so that no one might think of it as a worthy treasure" Sheldon interfered.

Howard wanted to contradict the linguist but right then Penny and Amy entered, carrying along two giant dishes. Amy's mother followed them, balancing seven tiny glasses on a tablet.

"Won't your father eat dinner with us?" Leonard wondered.

"He's travelling on business" Amy turned to her other guests. "It's only a simple feast, but I hope it will do", she passed the glasses over to her guests.

Leonard stood up. "I would like to make a toast" the others looked at him. "First of all I want to thank the Family Amarna for their kindness and quality, and then I want to make a toast to you, my friends. I'm looking forward to continuing our good work together." The others applauded and started to enjoy their dinner. Amy's mother was a blessed cook and she had excelled herself with the wide range of starters, which were served with flat bread. The wine was exquisite and left a sweet aftertaste.

After having eaten the delicious supper, Sheldon addressed Amy.

"Did you study something?" he wondered. His probing gaze made the young woman shiver. "I'm a librarian. If you're looking out for certain books you can ask me. I arranged them all in the required order" she thought that this would impress Sheldon.

He sure was the linguist master, but she had also something to offer. "Does that mean you've never been to the University?" he pressed her.

"I do have a doctor title, but I never mention it. Tourists, who visit the library don't appear eager to listen to me while I'm listing up all the Egyptian Gods. They just want to rent a book and to quarry for archaeological artefacts" Amy seemed to be a very down-to-earth academic, who didn't care of glory and recognition.

"Well, right now I'm trying to verify Davidson's and Petrie's thesis about the connection between the indentation on the Cheops Pyramid and the decimal places after the comma of the lengths of the solar year. Not to forget about the fact that the Pyramids were used as archaic calendars made of stone", Howard explained.

"You can't compare his work with mine, of course. Penny, I think you really should record this conversation. My goal is to deepening the categories of pyramid texts, like the dramatic texts, the hymns with notations, the litanies, the anthems and last but not least the spells" Leonard rolled his eyes, Sheldon thought that his studies and researches were the best, but life as a lector wasn't that banal either.

"If you're interested in the history of the shape of pyramids, you sure would enjoy my lectures. Right now I'm teaching my class about how the shape changed from Djoser in Saqqara to Chendjerin, as well as the standards of a pyramid complex" Leonard had to admit that being aware of so many different structures spread over more than three millennia made him a little bit proud.

"But nothing is so world-shaking like my studies. There is no treasure in North Africa that I haven't heard of. I recognise every bracelet, every earring from here to Abu Simbel", Raj raised his glass, while splitting some of the wine on Howard's hair.

"You know all the Egyptian Gods by heart?" Leonard wanted to test Amy and when she nodded he asked her of Khentamentiu.

"Khentamentiu was the protector of the very royal cemetery in Abydos in Upper Egypt. He was a jackal with a bushy tail. Sometimes he was called the Foremost of the Westerners meaning the most prominent of the gods for the other side of earthly life" she replied, with a straight face.

"Oh, oh. I think she could concurrence with Sheldon if it comes to general knowledge of the Ancient World" Raj whispered. Howards didn't say a word, he was fascinated by Amy.

"Have you ever heard of Qebesennuf?"

"He was one of the four sons of Horus, why?" Amy quickly replied. "You don't believe me, right?" Penny noticed that their host felt a bit offended, so she changed the subject.

"Hey guys, it's late and we're flipping exhausted. Why don't we get a rest and discuss about the gods by tomorrow?" she purposed.

"Penny, Penny, Penny. We have a strict plan tomorrow, would you please leave the conversation if you've nothing important to ad? Thank you" Sheldon murmured.

"She's right. I assume you won't go to the library but rather accompany me to Saqqara? If so, then we shall be ready at 4 am. It's going to be a long journey, but luckily we have enough camels for all of us. I wish you a good night", with these words Amy begged the scientists to settle down.

They were all covered in warm and fleecy duvets when Sheldon piped up: "Can someone sing me a lullaby?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"May I help you with the luggage?" Leonard asked and gave Penny a hand. She struggled to carry her big valise, not noticing that the seam of a belt slowly disentangled. The sand under their feet burned and the air was stuffy although it was still dark outside.

Not far from them they could hear calls of animals, five camels were waiting right behind Amy's flat. Two of them had a caramel coat, the other three a kind of cappuccino coat.

Sheldon examined their means of transport from all sides.

"Is there any problem?" Amy wondered as she remarked Sheldon's concerned look. He caressed the head of one of the camels and wanted to know its name.

"It's called Afaf, which means purity" she replied, while fetching her and the linguist's baggage. "I think I'm going to ride with this one, if you allow that" excited like a little child Sheldon jumped up and made a turban out of a piece of cloth.

"We don't want to get sunstroke, of course" he installed himself and clutched the straps with both hands.

Amy wanted him to be safe, so she checked his feet position, took a look at the equipment, if it was correctly stowed and handed him a pair of sunglasses.

"You will need them. I'm sure we will get in a sandstorm, which isn't a pleasure."

Penny befriended with Farah and squeaked happily when the camel tried to lick her. "Farah means joy, it fits you perfectly" Amy laughed and connected Penny's with Sheldon's straps. "Who's next? Dr. Hofstadter, would you like Hana or Izzah as your companion?"

"Hana! We need a lot of Hana to solve this mystery" both giggled.

"I will build the head of our group, which means you two have to share a camel. Are you alright or do you want us to rearrange the seating?" Amy asked. Howard turned to Raj. Both felt a bit unwell by the thought to sit on the same camel for a couple of hours, but they didn't dare to contradict.

"We can handle that" Howard said, while running his fingers through his hair. He didn't want to upset Amy once more, like they did yesterday evening. He had been so stupid by wanting to proof her intellect. What a fool he had been.

Raj built a leg-up so that Howard could sit on Izzah.

Before the six guys left, Amy's mother called her daughter back. She handed her over a longish object, wrapped in a fretted rag, tied up with two leather strings. "Mother, I hope you don't mean that seriously" the young woman spoke under breath. "You never know, my dear. Take care and use it with help of your understanding and with skill. Father has been a good teacher to you, do not disappoint him by risking their lives" Amy bowed and accepted the item, hiding it under her cape. Afterwards she gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and mounted Shukriyah.

"The sun will show you the way" the elderly lady shouted but the explorers were already out of earshot.

They had almost left the city when Sheldon made them stop. "Oh no, what's wrong Sheldon? Did you forget something?" Leonard grumbled. The linguist turned to their leader. "Miss Amy, did you consider the possibility of us getting kidnapped?"

"Again? Why is Dr. Cooper so obsessed by the idea of us getting in a tricky situation or murdered or even worse?" Penny shouted with arms flailing.

"Trust me, Dr. Cooper. We won't get in danger as long as we're preceding our journey without taking too long breaks and without talking to anybody. Out there might be potentially scary people, with whom it's best not to tangle but I'm prepared. We have enough water and dried fruit to offer them in return for our souls, don't worry. In six hours we will arrive in Saqqara, better we'd keep an eye on sudden weather changes, that's my biggest sorrow" Amy replied and commanded Shukriyah to walk a bit faster.

Penny was sweating and felt dizzy. She had trouble sitting upright on Farah, while it was swinging wildly back and forth. Leonard handed her a bottle of water, but she was too weak to take a sip. Grains of sand were twirling around their heads, the sunrays pinched their necks and the warmth became almost suffocating.

Howard opened some buttons of his chemise and tried to air a cool breeze onto his body. Raj felt quite comfortable, he was used to this heat, for he had lived many years in India, where they reach tropical temperature.

Suddenly the wind became stronger. Now the grains stabbed their faces, like little knifes. Sheldon covered his eyes with his arm, trying to not loose sight of Amy. She fought against the storm too and had to calm Shukriyah down, who started to buck.

"Miss Amy, do you know where we are?" the linguist asked, hoping that they might have arrived yet.

"We're very close to Saqqara. Do not be awed by the tiny tornado coming over the horizon."

"Which tiny tornado?" Penny gasped as she strained her eyes to see far vision.

A huge twist approached them, came closer and closer. Leonard jumped off his camel and dragged the journalist down. Amy kept track of Shukriyah and Howard as well as Raj clinched to each other, hiding their faces from the gusts of wind.

Sheldon was paralysed with terror, staring over the sand hills.

"Dr. Cooper! You have to get off Afaf, now" Amy shouted as the storm seemed to drown out everything.

When she realized that the linguist wasn't able to move she simply pulled at his sleeve and he tumbled down.

The tornado flashed by pulling the straps of the first camel in the row. Luckily Amy had connected them with each other, managing to resist the irrepressible power of the storm. Leonard protectively held his hands over Penny, who nearly smothered after having swallowed a mass of sand. She was coughing and gasping for air. It seemed to them as if the storm wouldn't come to an end but all of a sudden it was

deathly quiet.

"Did somebody get hurt?" Howard heard a voice in the distance. He tried to open his eyes but closed them immediately as the grains of sand irritated them. Raj was lying next to him with the back side up, stretched out. "Raj, are you okay?" his friend asked. The Indian shook his head and got back on his feet. Amy hurried to them. "I expected that" she said as if it was the most common thing in the world. She wasn't shocked at all but simply shook the excess sand off her dress.

"Shall we?"

Without any further explanation she ran past her group and jumped on Shukriyah. Leonard bore Penny up to Hana: "From now on you're riding with me on my camel." She clutched her hands around the lector's waist, falling right away asleep. Sheldon piped up: "May I use some water to wash my hands? I'm sure there were insects flying around our heads, carriers of severe diseases" he added. "I'm sorry, but we must make responsible and economical use of our inventories. You'll need to wait till we arrive in Saqqara" Amy replied, resuming their way to the necropolis on the left side of the Nile.

The rest of their journey passed off without any untoward incident. They reached Saqqara around midday, but unfortunately there was no time left to get any lunch. There was a strict plan to follow and the next step was to make a call on Mr. El-Kebir, who joyfully received them.

They were overwhelmed by the numerous impressions the lobby offered. Dozens of paintings extended along the wall, showing images of Pharaohs like Mentuhotep I. or Amenhotep IV. Achenaton and right above an arched passage flaunted an enormous portrait of Tutenchamun, mounted in a gold frame.

Penny encountred two life-sized imageries of the embalmer God Anubis. He was carrying a Was-Sceptre and an Anch in his hands. "This is a typical representation of Anubis" Sheldon informed her. "Yes, but normally he was portrayed as a lying, black jackal, as a connection to the western desert. In many mythologies the West seems to be the homeland of the deaths as well as the Canids, which were considered as spiritual directors", Amy added looking at the linguist with a more defiant view. Sheldon was uninhibited by Amy's explanation. "Fetch your notebook and a pen, Penny. This is going to be very interesting. I'm sure you'd like to hear something about Anubis' tasks. Well then, first of all he policed that the embalmment took place correctly."

"In the tomb he received the Mummy, implementing the ceremony of the mouth opening and deciding "the weight of truth" by weighing the Heart against Ma'at, who was often depicted as an ostrich feather" Amy completed.

"You're absolutely right" Sheldon lauded. "Thank you" Amy made a little curtsy towards the linguist.

"That is actually very cute. Finally you two have found a good relationship with one another" the journalist remarked, while jotting down some keywords.

She didn't expect an answer as it seemed that Amy and Sheldon were both quite inexperienced and more than reserved.

"Amy Farrah Fowler, you're a grown woman now" Mr. El-Kebir walked towards her. She nodded, kindly smiling. "I haven't seen you for years. How are you? How are your father and your mother doing? Could he save his business?" the savant begged the friends to sit down in front of a crackling fire.

"Wow, they know each other for so long time and everything he gets is a tired and almost forced grin?" Penny wondered. "Those are the rules" Sheldon retorted. "It shows respect, the people in Egypt follow different basic rules of decency as opposed to other countries. Two men may greet each other with a handshake or a kiss on the cheek, but greetings between a man and a woman are still scorned" he brought it to her.

"Mr. El-Kebir. These are four explorers and their journalist from the USA. They have come to solve the mystery of Bastets Box. I told them that you may give them important information about this artefact, revealing them its curse" Amy suggested.

The academic leaned back and crossed his legs. "Bastets Box. It is a very dangerous object if falling into the wrong hands. The legend exists since the 22nd dynasty, grave robbers have searched for it, but no one ever succeeded" he began.

"Is it true that the chief priests of Bastet may have hid it in the temple of Kom Ombo?" Leonard asked, hoping to get his thesis confirmed.

El-Kebir declined, a triumphant grin appeared on Raj's face.

"No, no. I know that Kom Ombo is mentioned in the inscription but it was to mislead the rubbernecks. There is evidence though that might indicate its hiding-place. Have you heard of Nofretari's temple in Abu Simbel?" he questioned.

The Indian whispered something into Howard's ear. "Sir, do you mean the temple where the word "Per-Ra-mesisu-meri-Amun" House of Ramses, who was loved by Amun has been engraved?"

"The other one next to it. The temple which has been built for his wife Nofretari. Don't make the same mistake as I did. I wasted so many of my precious years as an explorer by searching for Bastets Box in the wrong place. I got lost in the impenetrable labyrinth of Ramses' gravesite. I thought that I was close enough, that walled in a statue of a protecting God I would find this mythical item of desire. But I made a terrible mistake which cost the life of two close friends" visibly touched by the academics' story Leonard sighted.

Raj was right, no one would entrench a secret so longed for and feared at the same time in a temple accessible for everybody.

"Do you have a map of Nofretaris' temple? A map that shows us the fastest way to get there and a map disclosing every malices and traps of her resting place?" El-Kebir stood up and started to rummage around in a wooden secretaire. After pulling out several papyrus scrolls he finally handed Leonard an obsolete manuscript.

The other four seated around him.

"Thank you very much, Mr. El-Kebir" Amy addressed the tourists. "My duty is done and I didn't even make use of the knife my mother gave me. I hope you'll solve the mystery. It has been a pleasure to meet and to help you out" she wanted already to shake hands with the scientists when Sheldon interrupted her.

"Wait. Won't you accompany us? We could use a smart woman. We could achieve our aim together, I'm sure that afterwards there will be somewhere a small footnote referring to you."

"Anything to oblige!" the others rejoiced. "Welcome aboard our mission" Howard softly touched her shoulder which slightly annoyed Sheldon.

"What about you, Mister?" Mr. El-Kebir shook his head. "I'm too old; if I were a few years younger then it would have been an honor to travel with you to Abu Simbel. But I would be glad if you could keep me in the loop."

And so they left his house, intending to go back to work with renewed vigour. But what they didn't notice was that Mr. El-Kebir called for his servants.

A group of ten men, all dressed in black, covered in a long robe. "I want you to follow them. They are potential explorers who could eventually find Bastets Box. It would be a purchase of great value and the key to success. We could put our sinister plans into practice. But be warned, they're armed."


	6. Chapter 6

**First of all: Sorry that it took me so long... I was pretty busy with exams and University that I had to put the story aside for a couple of weeks. Now that I enjoy my termbreak I'm ready to continue "Bastets Box".**

Chapter 6

"Could we please get something to eat, I'm starving!" Howard yammered and let his head hang. His clothes were all sweaty and started to smell.

"Maybe we could get a little sandwich somewhere", Penny suggested but Sheldon interrupted her.

"A sandwich? A sandwich? Penny, there aren't any take a ways in Egypt where you can quickly buy some lunch without getting worried about it being your last meal" he made it clear. Amy wanted to avoid the worst case and so she tried to settle their dispute.

"Now that we got more information about Bastets Box we're able to continue our journey. We'll need to go by boat to Abydos. They have an excellent cuisine with Egyptian specialities on it" she had the feeling that this would please her American friends but Sheldon wrinkled his nose.

"I don't know if we can trust them. I mean they're just simple sailors, spending their life with bringing curious tourists from one port to the other. They won't have an idea of hygiene, nor are they washing their hands regularly. One can think of the dirt that is entrenched in every angle of their galley" he was shivering at the thought of it.

"Or we could stay hungry and unmotivated till we arrive at the temple of Ramses The Third just to please our genius", Leonard retorted. Sheldon darted a disparaging glance at the lector. He was looking out for the port and their mean of transport. "Miss Amy, do you know where the boat is going to take a rest? Is it a non stop journey to Abydos or are we invited to explore some of Egypt's coastal areas?" he wondered.

"I'm sure there will be a stop in Tell El-Amarna and if I'm not mistaken we'll have a break in Achmim before achieving our destination. But it's simply a speculation, they might of course have changed the route", she admitted.

"There is our ship! There is our ship!" Penny shouted and fetched her valises. She felt much better now and was the first one to queue up. "Really euphoric", Amy remarked and stood behind her. Penny's hair smelled like lotus blossoms which gave the young journalist a touch of freshness. "I'd love to try your shampoo", the librarian mentioned in passing. Leonard caught them up and was now clamped between two giant wealthy men. A monkey was sitting on one of the man's shoulder trying to delouse the lector's head. "Group hygiene" Howard chuckled and high-fived Raj.

"Hey! You better watch out" a bearded man forced Howard to walk a bit faster. The hot sun was burning and it wasn't until ages later when they finally assembled around a table. "A medium size boat I assume, with a maximum length of 16m" the mathematician pointed out. No one listened. They were sunk in the yellowing menu card. "Look at their offers" Raj's eyes widened. "They guarantee you an eating binge of fresh fish down here" Amy added and glanced over to Sheldon. He didn't even make the attempt of opening the card and choosing a meal. "I'd rather stay hungry for the rest of my life, which is of course an absurd idea but better than getting a food poisoning" he whispered and started to observe the travellers instead.

Particularly noticeable was a group of disguised men, all wearing black, engrossed in conversation. From time to time they looked up, making sure that no one was eavesdropping them. Sheldon didn't worry for the moment. He knew there were always funny birds among the tourists. "They appear to be Medjais, warriors who patrol the Sahara" Amy explained, the linguist nodded. "I heard of them too" Leonard piped up. "They are royal defenders and already existed three thousand years ago. Their duty is to protect the City of Dead" he went on, trying to catch Penny's attention. "Yes, we all watched "The Mummy", thanks Leonard" Raj murmured.

After the waiter had taken their order Sheldon decided to show all his knowledge about the eating habits of the Ancient Egyptians. "Did you know which foodstuff was highly appreciated back in Kemet, which is the Egyptian name meaning Black Country?" the linguist asked. Howard hold op his finger. "Onions and beer?" Amy grinned and waited for Sheldon to begin his speech. "Yes, besides onions and beer there was a huge amount of cereals, a lot of bread, and thin pointed cones, a type of flat bread. The offers on the menu card of wealthier people looked a little bit different, of course. They often served soup, beef, chicken, roasted goat, wine, dates and delicious figs" he added. "Are you sure you don't want to try any of these tasty dishes?" Penny challenged him. Amy turned to the linguist, waiting for him to change his mind. She had to admit that she felt slightly offended by his behaviour but strangely enough she seemed to forgive him.

"I think a warm broth wouldn't kill me" he replied. "Good choice" the librarian laid her hand on his. "No, no, don't do this!" Leonard shouted and she immediately pulled her hand back.

It was time for Leonard to speed up the thing between him and Penny, so he asked her if she'd like to take a walk on the deck of the ship. "As soon as I finished the introduction for my upcoming chapter, I'm ready to join you", her sweet voice from behind the door exclaimed.

Amy and Sheldon did already find the way out and were now strolling around. The night was chilly and both tried to make out a famous emblem of the next pier. The librarian who was wearing a simple shirt started to shiver from the cold. Sheldon felt cosy and comfortable in his outdoor jacket. "You should have brought a coat or at least a sweater with you" he said while fixing a dim light in the distance. How about offering me your clothes instead? Amy thought but didn't speak out loud. They stopped to rest for a while. "A state, originated in the desert, on the fertile banks of a beneficial river. The Nile means more to Egypt than just being a river: a wonder without whom its development wouldn't have been possible" Sheldon sighted and turned to Amy. They were silent for a moment. No one spoke; they listened to the different noises of the ocean, the waves lapping their boat.

What's happening now? Amy asked herself. She had to admit that Sheldon seemed to be a very handsome man in her eyes, despite the fact that he was extremely selfish and egocentric. He was just like Egypt, full of mysteries.

"Hey there", Penny ran towards them smiling all over her face. "Are you two enjoying the starlit night? Isn't it romantic?" she pushed the two closer to each other. Leonard lit his eyebrow. Was there something going on between his best friend and Amy Farrah Fowler? He made Sheldon understand to approach him. They left Amy alone for a second but still within the range of vision.

"You like her, right?" Penny pricked the linguist. "I think she is an adorable woman, you lucky dog" Leonard punched Sheldon. "Well I think she has a brilliant mind, not as brilliant as mine of course but it's filled with an enormous amount of knowledge" Sheldon wasn't sure how he felt about Amy. Her wisdom attracted him somewhat but he wouldn't call it an irrepressible appeal.

Just when Penny wanted to continue the questioning they heard a shout. Sheldon ran back on the deck but Amy was gone. He spotted a black cape disappearing around the corner. "Oh my God, where is she?" Penny's heart was racing.

Leonard, Sheldon and the journalist tried to find the trap but lost it very soon. Having turned to the left they bumped into Raj and Howard. "Did you see her? Did you see which direction they went?" Sheldon wanted to know. "Who went what direction?" Howard was clueless. He stared into three ashen faces. "You must have seen them, they went that way, and there was at least one man, covered in black!"

"What is going on here?" the mathematician wanted to know. "I would be very thankful if someone of you could enlighten me!"

"They kidnapped Amy!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: I am not sure whether there were really traps in the treasure trove, but I thought this would make the whole situation even more dangerous and exciting. Just that you know; I am a huge "The Mummy" fan so I thought to include some references. I mean TBBT is always mentioning "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" so what could be a possible favourite movie of our explorers?**

Chapter 7:

"Let's split up and search for her. I'm sure that they haven't left the boat yet. Howard and Raj, you two will take a look downstairs. Look for her in the galley and even in the cabin of the team captain. Don't shy away from anything" Sheldon instructed. Then he addressed Penny and Leonard. "You will search through every single cabin, it doesn't matter if you bother the guests, this is an emergency!"

The journalist seized Leonard by the arm and disappeared in the traveller's area.

Sheldon was aimlessly running around. "What if they bring her to a secret place, a pyramid somewhere between Saqqara and Abu Simbel? We won't ever find Bastets Box without her! She has to lead us. We won't get honoured without her. No, wait for a moment! We will get honoured, after all it's not me they kidnapped" train of thoughts were haunting in his brain. He rushed through the corridors, opened all closest whether he was actually allowed to or not, bashed them and stamped irritated.

Suddenly the linguist heard a splash followed by agitated murmuring. He hurried to the eastern side of the boat and arrived just in time to spot the black covered men distributing themselves into two small canoes. Amy was among the group, they were hiding her under a giant cloth but he could still recognise her. She was hopelessly fighting against their strong handles.

"Amy!" he shouted but the words died away in the dark. A slight panic gripped him; where would they bring Amy? Would they stay on the Nile for a while until they found a suitable port to get off? He thought of the different possibilities: They would pass Beni Hasan, Antinooupolis, Tell el-Amarna, Quasae, Achmim, Dendera, Koptos, Medamud, Theban, Elkab, Kom Ombo and many more on the way to Abu Simbel. Then he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"Sheldon! We found something, it's a note, probably done by Amy" Leonard held out the little piece of paper. "We couldn't decipher it. It has to be Coptic or something" he suggested while turning the note in all directions. The linguist took hare of it and looked at it more precisely.

"We didn't find her" Howard said gasping for breath.

"Of course you didn't! They brought her with them on their canoes!" Sheldon replied.

"This isn't Coptic but what do you expect from a middleclass lector?" he then added, disdaining glancing at Leonard.

"It's Demotic and it means, hold on" the linguist stopped for a moment. "It means cemetery!"

Penny put her hands up to her mouth. "This is terrible! They will kill her! Poor Amy, she was such a nice and sincere woman" the journalist sobbed.

"Don't be silly! I believe that this is evidence she gave us. It's a hint" Sheldon combined.

"There are many cemeteries in Egypt, constructed for the powerful pharaohs and their descendants" Howard said.

"But we all know the most important and best known graveyard of the antiquity" Sheldon began.

"Abydos" they said with one accord.

Two days later they finally reached Abydos. The others were certain that there is no hope for Amy. It was very likely that she had fallen victim to the Medjais. Sheldon didn't want to give up. "I assume she got kidnapped because they knew her. Someone betrayed her and her family" he came up with the weirdest speculations.

"What about the library director? He sure is aware of her wisdom. She can name every Egyptian God with their area of responsibility by heart. It has to be someone who's interested in the Box as well, who knows about its secret and destructive forces. Someone who wants to benefit personally from her lore" Leonard added.

"Where to go next?" Penny asked. She had read of Abydos and its most attractive sights. There was more than one temple plant and innumerable burial places.

"Was cemetery the only word on the paper? Did you miss something out?" Leonard wondered. He didn't even try to come up with an idea himself for Sheldon would immediately turn it down since he considered himself to be the head of this explorer team.

"I remember two numbers and a name. It looked like a quote. Nauri-decree, 27-28" he said hoping for sudden inspiration.

"Nauri-decree? I heard of that. Years ago the question popped up whether Sethos I. had already started the construction of his temple while being a civil servant during the reign of Haremhab or his father Ramses I. In the Nauri-decree he's explaining that the temple has already been used while he was coming to power. He said: I gave servants, whom I purchased, to my temple and I didn't abandon it. I started with it in my youth until I succeeded to the Egyptian throne" Howard revealed, he lifted is eyebrow.

"Very impressive for a man without doctor title. We agree that they hide Amy in the funerary temple of Sethos I., right?" the linguist asked.

"So, before entering the temple we should take all possible hiding-places into consideration" Sheldon suggested. He addressed Leonard. The lector disposed over knowledge regarding different temple complexes. He might have encountered the temple of Sethos I. during his education and could remember its architectural construction.

"A typical characteristic of this temple are doubtlessly the seven chapels, which are located behind the second Room of Columns" was the first thing Leonard came up with. It was very likely that the kidnappers had locked Amy away in one of these chambers.

"Are all seven chapels accessible?" Penny wanted to know while recording this brainstorming.

"Yes, they are. You reach the Osiris – hall, consisting of ten columns, when walking through chamber number five. The four-column room is situated on the left side of it. Three chapels have been built on the right side of it, one for Horus, one for Osiris and one for Isis" Howard completed the description.

Raj whispered something into the mathematician's ear. "Of course there are non-accessible rooms. They constructed a tiny chamber which cannot be entered" Howard replied.

"Maybe that's where they hide Amy?" Penny suggested.

"Which part of cannot be entered don't you understand?" Sheldon snapped. He was in a rage and hardly had clear thoughts anymore. This had never happened to him before. He wanted to rescue their companion, whatever the cost.

"Are there any small rooms? I mean like passages, slaughterhouses or…" Howard cut the linguist off.

"If I remember it right, then we'll find an abattoir close to the treasure trove", he tried to focus on his last subject matter and on what he had read about the temple but his mind upset his plans. "Sorry guys. It might be that my memory comes back as soon as we have entered the temple" he apologised.

Together they climbed up the stairs. Hesitation overcame them for an instant. It was as if they were on a journey through time. The impressions were deeply affecting them. Especially Howard had wet eyes when brushing against the wall. Some limestone crumbled away. Penny wanted him to ask about his feelings but it was a special moment for him, something he had dreamed of since he was a child.

"I always imagined that I have lived before and that I was jointly responsible for this historic milestone" he said more to himself than to his friends.

Leonard felt a little bit queasy. He knew of the innumerable traps and dangers to keep grave robbers away. What if they would accidentally blunder into a trap?

"Isn't it remarkable how enormous this place is? Edified manually" Sheldon was overwhelmed. Even in his wildest dreams he would not have imagined to land here. But there was something more important to do first before inspecting Sethos' legacy. He had to find Amy Farrah Fowler.

"Leonard! You'll search for her in the great hall of Osiris. Howard, you'll give your best at searching her in the area of the First Room of Columns, which means you're staying here. Raj, as you're the man of treasures, you're aim is to find evidence of Bastets Box" Sheldon instructed. "Penny, I don't know where to send you. Maybe you should just accompany one of the explorers" he said without bothering too much.

"Would you like to learn about the battle of Qadesh between Egyptians and Hittites?" Howard held out his hand but Leonard pushed him away.

"It would be better if we'd stayed together. We don't want to risk anything" he smiled shyly.

"Yes, I think that is the best idea, Dr. Hofstadter" she answered in the loveliest tone.

"It's Leonard."

"Okay, Leonard. Let's look for Amy in the great hall of Osiris" they left the others direction fifth chapel.

As soon as they were out of sight Penny grabbed Leonard and kissed him. He returned the gesture albeit being insecure.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. We should search Amy instead" she blushed and avoided eye-contact with him.

"No need to apologise. Hehe, maybe we should postpone your intention until a future, less brutal and less deadly situation" he answered.

Raj had walked around the temple until he had found the entrance to the treasure trove. Hills of gold, diamonds, caskets and mountains of pearl necklaces were waiting for him. He had a grin all over his face and considered to make some of the jewellery disappear in his pockets. But the Ancient Egyptians weren't stupid. They knew that sooner or later a man greedy for money would appear with ulterior motives. He hadn't even touched the gold when a trap door opened under his feet and he fell into it.

"Hello!" Raj yelled hoping that someone would hear him. He had hurt his left leg and was unable to stand up. Something was rustling in the darkness. It came closer and closer. A scarab forced its way through sticks and bones. Another one followed him. Raj remembered the disgusting scene from "The Mummy" when the insects pounced on high priest Imhotep and ate him still alive. Had the old pharaohs provided the same destiny for him? He already regretted his avarice.

Meanwhile Sheldon had accessed the slaughterhouse not noticing that one of the Medjais was following him at every turn.

He was touching the uneven walls, trying to find a secret passage. The man was more and more catching up on him, he pulled out his sabre, ready to attack Sheldon and ram it into his back when Howard dragged him down to the ground.

Sheldon turned around.  
>"Run, Sheldon! Run!" the mathematician shouted. He struggled with the kidnapper, rolling around and whipping him with cruelty. The man gained the upper hand and was now strangling Howard.<p>

The linguist fled the site, disoriented running towards an inscribed wall. He leaned against it which activated a mechanism. The wall turned on its own axis, transporting Sheldon into a louring room.

"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked. Amy was sitting totally distraught in an edge of the unlit chamber.

"It's me, Sheldon. I'm here to rescue you. Your duty isn't done yet" he was groping in the dark until he touched her hair.

"I'm glad to hear your voice" she admitted, stretching her arms out.

"It's way too dusty in here" the linguist coughed slightly, not even thinking of helping her up.

He stumbled over an earthenware dish.  
>"How long have you been locked up in here?" he wanted to know.<p>

"Two days and two endless nights. I was alone but something told me that it's not over yet and that my hero is on the way to me" she stood up with shaky knees finding a hold on Sheldon.

"Will you carry me outside?" she wondered without seeing the expression on the linguist's face.

"Miss Amy. I thought you were an archaeological oriented academic and not a kitschy romantic envisioning a smooch happy ending" he replied.

Amy remained quite.

"We have to find a way out" Sheldon said again touching the wall.

"There is only one entrance which cannot be opened from inside."

**Are Sheldon and Amy gonna find their way out? Will Leonard revive the kiss? Will Raj end up like Imhotep? How is the battle of Qadesh related to my FF?**

**What do you think of this chapter? Let me know!**


	8. Chapter 8

**They don't seem to find a way out of Sethos' temple. There's always someone who needs help. **

Chapter 8

"Why on earth does it take them so long?" Leonard started worrying where his friends could possibly be. The temple complex wasn't that big and there weren't many options for a cleverly devised hiding-place. Still, Raj seemed to be disappeared, there was no sign of Sheldon and Howard who should have stayed in the first Hall of Columns had also edged off. At least there was Penny who was keeping his company.

The fight wasn't over yet. Howard was struggling with his attacker. There was blood on the floor coming from his slashed arm. A deep wound gaped on his forehead. He felt dizzy, couldn't concentrate and was constantly avoiding the tackles. He rolled from one side to the other, swallowed some sand and was trying to incapacitate the Medjaij. But the disguised man was much faster than the mathematician. He pushed him towards the stairs which led to a sacred place. Howard missed the first tread and was now sinking his fingers into the limestone which prevented him from falling down. The Medjaij came closer, placing his right foot on Howard's fingers. He crushed them with all his strength. Howard howled, his bloodcurdling cry echoed through the empty corridors.

The end is near he thought but rescue arrived.

A small creature not as tall as Howard himself clipped the Medjaijs back of the head with a spear. Then the person jumped on the floor and compelled the man to touch down first with an accurately kick.

"Why don't you look for someone of your size?" a squeaky voice exclaimed. The Medjaij was overwhelmed but before he knew the person was already sitting on him putting a bow around his neck and pulled it until he was lying unconsciously on the cold rocky ground.

Then a hand appeared out of nowhere; Howard grabbed it and was immediately pulled up. He wiped the dirt and sand from his clothes and faced his saviour.

To his astonishment he was looking into a woman's face. She had curly blonde hair and was really pretty small.

"Hey" he spluttered "thanks for having rescued me from this Medjaij."

The woman wanted to answer but Howard turned around heading back to the Hall of Columns.

"Wait! Wait!" she cried after him.

"That's it? I just saved your life. Don't you even want to know my name or how come that I'm here?" she wondered and lifted her hood. Howard was now staring into two shiny and icy blue eyes. He must have forgotten about his good manners and apologised right away.

"Excuse me; I'm a little bit off my head. You are?"

"I'm Bernadette Rostenkowski, travel guide and casual lifesaver" she smiled and put her hands behind her back.

"Nice to meet you, Bernie" Howard replied. "I'm Howard Wolowitz, mathematician and passionate lover of numbers" he could not leave it. But maybe Bernadette was easier to impress than Penny.

"I don't get it" she shyly replied not having understood his play on words. She was wearing a dark blue coat and high leather boots. Her white shirt was polluted by an indefinable brown substance. Howard could swear that it was dried blood flaunting on her chemise.

"What are you exactly doing here?" she asked.

The mathematician wasn't sure if he should tell her about Bastets Box but his doubts were eliminated at once when they heard a desperate cry for help.

"What was that?" Bernadette moved in a circle. Another cry broke through the silence.

Howard stopped for a moment and listened. There was a knocking in the wall, a dull but energetically knocking.

"You heard it too, right?" he asked her while pressing his ear against the cold rock.

"We disturbed their eternal peace! The ancient emperors will come forth from the grave and lavish us with the infamous nuisances. Just because you were so greedy for wealth" the travel guide moved away more and more, she thought this was the only possibility to escape the punishment.

"Those are not lost souls calling to us. Sounds like Sheldon going crazy" Howard assumed.

"Sheldon, can you hear me?" he shouted. His finger ran up and down the wall. There had to be a secret mechanism somewhere.

"He must be entrenched in a tiny room, having a disposition to claustrophobia at the moment."

Bernadette inspected her new acquaintance. "What business does a mathematician have in Abydos?" she wanted to know.

"I'm an explorer" Howard replied without looking up. He was scrambling along the wall, searching for a leak.

"What do you explore?" the blonde didn't think of giving him a hand but was rather questioning him from a save distance.

"Bastets Box" he answered, already regretting it. Maybe Bernadette was one of the people who would take a rise out of him and his friends, someone who would make nothing of its legend.

"Seriously? Bastets Box? Isn't the box supposed to be hidden in Nofretari's Temple in Abu Simbel?" she wasn't sure if Howard was telling her the truth so she stood on his leg.

"Ouch! What are you doing?" he writhed with pain.

"You're a grave robber, admit it!" she squeaked. "I've been observing you and your team for some days now. You don't seem to make a good and experienced impression. What are your real intentions? Gold and treasures? Listen to me, honey. Don't try to mess with me. I won't allow six wannabe archaeologists to turn dignified legacies of great Egyptians emperors upside down" she clarified.

"Trust me, we're not wannabes. Dr. Cooper is a notable linguist, Dr. Hofstadter is an excellent and popular lector, Dr. Koothrappali studied Near Eastern Archaeology and has a knack for riches" he shouldn't have mentioned that.

Bernadette kicked him even harder.

"Let me explain" Howard whispered.

"Tell me" she rustled not reducing the pressure on his leg.

"Look, we're a team. Penny, the woman with pigtails, is our journalist and Amy, the half Egyptian half British feast for the eyes, is our leader. That's all. We're only interested in the box, nothing else matters" he was able to free himself.

"Now let me rescue Sheldon and Amy. We can talk later! They haven't much air left, I don't want them to suffocate" Howard became nervous. He hammered along the wall, stroking his fingers over the artful reliefs, but unsuccessful.

Bernadette leaned against the opposite wall, wincing at once as it turned around.

"Beware!" Howard grabbed her by the shoulders.

They both gave a glimpse into the murky closet.

A shape stepped out approaching them. Bernadette was keeping her bow ready.

"It was high time" Sheldon removed the debris, followed by an intimidated Amy.

"We made it! We made it!" Howard was overjoyed that he spontaneously hugged Bernadette. She roughly pushed him away.

"I think you owe me an explanation, now that you seem to be complete" the travel guide eyeballed the linguist and the librarian.

"Could we first turn back to Leonard and the others? I think we spent enough time in these musty corridors" Howard walked away he didn't give Bernadette a chance to change her mind.

"Where have you been?" Leonard ran towards them.

"We were half sick with worry" Penny spotted the wounds on Howard's body. She covered up her embarrassment.

"What happened to you? And who is she?" questions over questions. Bernadette made a step closer to Leonard and Penny.

"I'm Mrs. Rostenkowski and you'd better give me a reason for your presence or I would not hesitate to send out the public authority against you" she pointed the finger at the lector.

"Question two, answered. Now back to question number one" Howard began. "I had a little fight with a Medjaij who wanted to put our beloved linguist out of action. Luckily Bernie rushed to help in the very last moment."

Penny fetched her purse and pulled out the recorder.

"Would you like to voice your opinion? Have you heard of Bastets Box?" she held the micro under Bernadette's nose. The travel guide glanced at Howard.

Howard wanted to launch into a long-winded explanation but Leonard cut him off.

"Where's Raj?"

"Is that a trick? Are you trying to distract me?" Bernadette got really angry. Normally it was her who had the people under her thumb. But this group of American academics seemed to mock around with her.

"I haven't seen him" Sheldon contributed.

"How could you? You were busy saving my life" Amy made big eyes, unnoticeably pressing against him. Sheldon didn't return the gesture. He had rescued her for purely professional reasons; at least that's what he desired to show.

"What did you tell him?" Leonard asked.

"I wanted him to find evidence regarding Bastets Box" the linguist replied, being unaware of any wrongdoing.

"Any educated human being would look for evidence in the sacred chapels or in the walls dotted with inscriptions" Sheldon went on.

"Yes, but not Raj. His special fields are treasures. Where do you think he's staying at the moment, you clever – dick?"

"Does anyone know where the repertory is?" Leonard wondered.

**What do you think of this chapter? What becomes of Howard and his guardian angel? Is Bernie going to mess or match up with the team? Will she spoil their adventure? **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Stop!" Sheldon barred high-spirited Howard's way.

"You can't just enter the treasure chamber. Deathly traps are lurking everywhere. Take a look at your left" the whole group turned their head in the indicated direction.

"Do you see those razor-sharp blades behind the column made of solid gold?"

They all nodded. Now the linguist was pointing at a small rectangular elevation in the almost yellowish sand.

"That's the trigger. Easily to bee overlooked, right Raj?" he yelled.

Sheldon made a large arc around it to avoid any missteps. Amy did the same followed by Howard and Bernadette, always keeping an eye on the ceiling.

"Penny, we're waiting for you" the lector shouted but Sheldon shushed him.

"Don't be silly. She's way too clumsy for this rescue operation. With a bit of luck we're landing into a snake pit" he whispered. Leonard dared malignant glances at him. He was certain that Penny wouldn't cause as much trouble as Sheldon did.

Howard was looking around he couldn't do more than simply staring. These riches would open him the door to a career here in Egypt. He could leave his old homeland behind him, starting a new life, gaining on name recognition and being surrounded by beautiful women working as his secretaries, accountants and biography authors. But his dreams fell flat immediately when the eyes of Bernadette seemed to pierce him.

"Don't touch anything" she crunched between the teeth.

"Could someone please help me?" Raj holed up in the corner of the pit. He was intimidated by the crowd of scarabs which slowly cleaved a way towards him. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. It wouldn't take much longer until the first insects would get under his skin and eat through his flesh. He was looking for a stick, a stone just something he could throw at the beetles.

Leonard looked around. There had to be a sceptre, an anch or at least a spear to fetch his companion and save his life.

"Maybe we should look for an inscription. It's possible that the pharaoh and his follower as well as his successors searched for a way of telling each other about the traps and how to avoid them" Amy suggested.

"We've got just one small problem" he pointed at the walls behind the mountains of gold. There wasn't a single spot left that hadn't been dotted with hieroglyphs. "It might take you and Sheldon hours to find a clue in this jumble of signs" the lecturer sighted. Sheldon stepped next to their leader. He squinted and tried to focus on the first few decorated squares right in front of them.

"It seems to me that this wall has been used to retell the story of Sethos I. whereas the wall behind Penny warns the intruders of entering the chamber; hence we can leave them out. What appears to be dubious is the wall behind the pit" Amy nodded.

"Are you able to read the inscription?" Penny wondered while handing Amy a notebook and a pen.

The librarian started to write down single words in Egyptian but she constantly shook her head making her friends understand that the message was too difficult to decipher. Sheldon glided his fingers along the wall. "Rajesh is not the first who fell victim to the Pharaoh's safety precautions. This is a legacy of an ancient grave robber. It says: Jb=j m snnw=j which means translated: I was alone only my heart was my companion. He must have landed in the same hidden hole as Raj did" he completed his consideration. "Does the inscription reveal how the grave robber escaped death?" Howard asked.

"No, the inscription ends with the word victory, he must have died in the repertory. Although he managed to climb out of the hole the exit doors were locked forever. Wait", Sheldon remarked a spot on the wall where the Medjajs must have gouged out the hieroglyphs. The only hint he could recognise was a series of signs that could be the solution to their problem. "wah=f wj nn dmj.t=j" he whispered. "The snakegod" Amy shouted. "Of course", she slapped herself on the forehead" Leonard looked irritated at her. "What do you mean by the snakegod?" he wondered. "The inscription quotes from a famous story of Apophis? Apophis was symbolizing the power of the chaos and the evil. The sun had to fight against him day after day. These hieroglyphs quote a particular part of the myth, they say: The snakegod took me in his mouth and sat me down without pushing me. There has to be a mechanism that moves this huge statue of a snake down to Raj. Quick, look around !" Amy ordered.

Bernadette called attention to a lever close to an oversized diamond next to Howard. "Pull it down" she squeezed and the mathematician executed this command. The mouth of the snake moved slowly down the hole and Raj held on to the serpent's fang. Howard lifted the lever and rescued Raj. As soon as the Indian was back on firm ground he fell on his knees and whimpered. Howard put a hand on his friend's shoulders and sobbed. "I thought for a moment that I had lost my best friend forever" he whispered into his ear.

"We shouldn't loose too much time. Has somebody recognized the kidnappers? Did they appear familiar to you?" Leonard asked. "I think they were with us on the boat and if I'm not mistaken we've already met them in Saqqara" Amy answered. "I'm sure they're after Bastets Box with fatal intentions" Sheldon assumed. "Let's go back to the coastal areas and wait for a boat to pass by. We need to reach Abu Simbel before the enemies!"


End file.
